Washington: Louisiana's Indian American governor Bobby Jindal, frequently mentioned as a potential vice presidential candidate, has called President Barack Obama "the most liberal, most incompetent president in the White House since Jimmy Carter.

""The Obama administration is at the nexus of liberalism and incompetence and together that's a deadly combination," said Republican Jindal in a scathing critique of Obama at the Chicago Conservative Political Action Conference Friday.

Jindal, who has not yet campaigned with likely Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, said the private sector is like a foreign country to Obama and his administration was "lurching" America toward European-style socialism.

"I suspect that many in the Obama administration really don't believe in private enterprise. At best they see business as something to be endured so that that it can provide tax money for government programmes," said Jindal.

Responding to Obama's statement that the private sector was doing fine, he added: "Mr. President, I've got a message for you: The private sector is not doing well when 23 million Americans are unemployed and underemployed in this great country.

"This president, the private sector is so foreign to him he might need a passport to actually go visit and he might need a translator to help him talk to folks in the private sector.

"Jindal gave a standard expression of disinterest when asked about his name coming up as a possible vice presidential candidate.